. aides and friends say so in interviews. mr. obama's own words of praise say it best. he is a perpetually aspiring overachiever. as he faces off with mitt romney, mr. obama wilson to win in fear of losing. is in overdrive. he is cramming for debates against an opponent he has called ineffective, raising money and a frantic pace to narrow the gap with mr. romney and embracing the do anything it takes of an increasingly contentious campaign. even by the standards of political world, mr. obama's obsession with virtuosity, and proving himself the best, are remarkable. those close to him say, in parentheses, critics call it arrogance. when mr. obama was derided as an insufferable overachiever in an early political race, his friends were infuriated. but even those loyal to mr. obama say that his quest for excellence can lead him to cockiness, and they tends to overestimate his capability, end of quote. so what should one predict about a second term for barack obama, particularly with these qualities of character? he most recently exhibited a combination of moving to the center while

government of mr. pena nieto and the government of mr. obama, that they can listen other voices on a very delicate subject to security. what are we doing, local governments facing challenges that sometimes go out of our hands and anyway we have to deal with them. there is no doubt that the main concern, for instance, in my city in northeast mexico is a border state with taxes. too often, cities have borders with the rio, texas that we also have my city on the southeast part of the state and it's a strategic location. my city the city of 670,000 people. it's a big city. the metropolitan area sharing the space which has two cities, our neighbors in another city, which is my city. there is no doubt that the main concern of the people in the border areas on the mexican side is the demand for safety and the demand for security. this demand is being heard louder and louder than the demands for employment and secret services, which is what we mayors do. when i was listening of course for job creation, economic development. but i mexico, it's becoming also one of the major necessities, which

, mr. erskine bowles who president obama appointed to head his fiscal commission, when he saw this budget in 2011 said it comes nowhere close to where they'll have to go to avoid a fiscal catastrophe. everybody knew this budget wouldn't do the job, and that's why it was never brought through the process, and that's why it wasn't brought to the floor for full budget analysis in committee and in debate on the floor. so as we go forward, i look forward -- i'll be meeting with our new chairman, senator murray, she is a -- a great, tough advocate for her values, but she's a good person to work with, and i've told her we'll try to work with her, but we're going to talk about the great issues of our time, the difficulties we face and see if we can't make this system work better and try to put this country on a sound financial footing. we can do it. we can get this country on a sound path. it is not impossible. but anything that thinks it's easy is wrong. it's going to take us some real tough and hard work. as we do that in a bipartisan, open way, in the committee, on the floor of the sena

leader. mr. mcconnell: mr. president, i want to start by congratulating president obama on his inauguration. presidential inaugurations are always a time for the country to come together. we all feel a certain pride in the event and we're reminded how fortunate we are to live in a nation where we have the ability to resolve differences freely. inauguration day is a time for new beginnings, a chance to learn from the mistakes and missed opportunities from the past as we reengage in vitally important debates about our future. too often over the past four years political considerations trumped the need to put our country on a sound financial footing and a path to prosperity. today we should recommit ourselves to the task of facing up to the problems head on. i understand that the passions of an election can sometimes overshadow the business of governing, but the presidential campaign is now behind us, and so it's my hope that the president will finally be willing to do what republicans have been asking him to do since his first inauguration four years ago and that is to work weus

providing a sense of normalcy for her family. the last girls' night out of the first term. mrs. obama and her daughters sasha and malia attended the children's concert. an event put together at the request of the first lady for kids with parents in the military. >> when i think about who we are. when i think about what makes america great, i think about all of you, our men and women in uniform, our military spouses and our amazing military kids. >> working with military families, fighting childhood obesity and mentoring at-risk kids in washington, d.c., were the signature causes of mrs. obama's first term in the white house. cnn has learned she has been working on a second-term agenda since december and she may pick up a new cause. valerie jarrett, a top adviser to the president, a long-time friend to the first couple. >> she will take on issues that she cares passionately about. she wants to make sure her heart is in it and she can give it the energy she deserves. >> reporter: but the first lady's top priority is her family. >> at the end of the day, my most important title is still mom

presiding officer: without objection. mr. inhofe: mr. president, yesterday president obama made a beautiful speech. i think everyone agrees that he's -- he's a very persuasive speaker. and although i didn't agree with anything he said, still it was -- it was said beautifully. i want to read one part of the speech that -- that -- because i don't want to get it wrong. he said -- quote -- "we will respond to the threat of climate change knowing that the failure to do so would betray our children and future generations. the path towards sustainable energy sources will be long and sometimes difficult, but america cannot resist this transition. we must lead it. we cannot cede to other nations the technology that will power new jobs and new industries. we must claim its promise and that's how we will maintain our economic vitality and our national treasure." that's a direct quote that came out of the president's speech. and it really is a lot of little subliminal things in there that people didn't pick up on but i did. and one is, and they talked we misshowed the leadership. well, that's

story of how obama fought back against boehner, cantor and the tea party. is the showdown referring to any specific incident or just politics in general, mr. corn? >> guest: well, kind of both. the book is a behind-the-scenes account of what happened in the white house after the november 2010 election when the republicans and the tea party really knocked barack obama for a loop and took control of the house. and then everything that happened after that. the tax cut deal, the big fights over the budget and the dealt ceiling and deficit -- the debt ceiling, deficit reduction, also the bin laden raid and what happened in egypt and libya. and so i'm looking at how obama made the decisions he made and took -- why he took the actions he took in that very pear rillous time -- perilous time for him politically. but i also explained how this is all done in a way to set up the 2012 campaign that we just went through. he had a theory, after he took that big hit in 2010, he had a theory that he could make the 2012 race a choice not just between him and mitt romney, but a choice between differen

. mcconnell: mr. president, i want to start by congratulating president obama on his inauguration. presidential inaugurations are always a time for the country to come together. we all feel a certain pride in the event and we're reminded how fortunate we are to live in a nation where we have the ability to resolve differences freely. inauguration day is a time for new beginnings, a chance to learn from the mistakes and missed opportunities from the past as we reengage in vitally important debates about our future. too often over the past four years political considerations trumped the need to put our country on a sound financial footing and a path to prosperity. today we should recommit ourselves to the task of facing up to the problems head on. i understand that the passions of an election can sometimes overshadow the business of governing, but the presidential campaign is now behind us, and so it's my hope that the president will finally be willing to do what republicans have been asking him to do since his first inauguration four years ago and that is to work weus -- with us in

obama's legacy. the co-authors are both fcc officials. reed hundt in the clinton administration, and blair levin spent time there as the national broadband plan. gentlemen, thanks for being here. mr. hundt. your book's subtitle. how can technology fix the budget and help us over the so-called fiscal cliff. >> guest: that is the subtitle and it's a bit of a mouthful. the fundamental idea here is if you spend time in silicon valley, spend time in detroit where the automobile industry is being rebuilt. you spend time outside the beltway you see that america has the potential to generate abundance for its own citizens and for the world. you spend time only inside the beltway it looks like a zero sum game, looks like lose/lose and who is going to lose the most is the gist of the negotiations. so what we tried to say in the book, what are the lessons of the technology sector, that comes from the optimism in the technology sector and how they can give us ideas we can pass into law here in washington, dc. >> host: you talk about two different platforms in your book. what are those platf

reporters miss this one? "the washington post" makes news caught in another plagerism scandal. mr. obama holds the last news conference of his first term and takes a shot at the media for the anger in washington and on the topic of doping, lance comes clean on oprah, will it help his cause or her floundering career? >> here we are in austin, texas. >> jon: on the panel, writer and fox news contributor, judy miller, and jim pinkerton and cal thomas and kirsten powers, i'm jon scott, fox news watch is on right now. >> this will be difficult. there will be pundits and politicians and special interest public lobbyists, publicly warning of a tyrannical all-out assault on liberty, not because that's true, but because they want to gin up fear or higher ratings or revenue for themselves and behind the scenes they'll do everything they can to block any common sense reform and make sure nothing changes whatsoever. >> jon: president obama on wednesday flanked by his vice-president and four children with their parents, pushing his agenda on gun control, taking a swipe at his opponents and the media in loc

effectively in coming months. >> republican leader? >> mr. president, i want to start by co want to start by congratulating president obama on his inauguration. presidential inauguration to always time for the country to come together. we all feel a certain pride in the event and we are reminded of how fortunate we are to live in a nation where we have the ability to choose our leaders freely and resolve our differences in peace. inauguration day is also a time for new beginnings. a chance to learn from the mistakes and missed opportunities of the past as we reengaged and some vitally important debates about the future. too often over the past four years, apolitical consideration has trumped the need to put our country on a sound financial footing in the past two prosperity. today we recommit ourselves to face the problems head-on. i understand that the passions of an election can sometimes overshadow the governor. the presidential campaign is now behind us. it is my hope that the president will finally be willing to do what republicans have been asking him to do since his first ina

. >> he's just another elitist hypocrite. >> reporter: the video points out that mr. obama's children have armed protection in school. and asks -- >> why is he skeptical about putting armed security in our schools? >> reporter: president obama will have to overcome nra opposition and convince congress to pass his measures to curb gun violence. when mr. obama unveils his proposals today, he'll do so flanked by children who wrote letters expressing concern about gun violence. the president will call on congress to ban military-style assault weapons, limit the number of bullets allowed in a magazine clip, and require background checks on nearly every gun purchase. mr. obama will also take action without congress by executive order. new york state, acted even before the federal government, putting in place the toughest gun control laws in the nation. >> this is a comprehensive bill that addresses the full panorama and spectrum of issues that come up. >> reporter: the new york law would block mentally ill patients from buying weapons and require mental health professional to report any pat

law. also talks about the commission's 2013 agenda. mr. gallagher was asked of the securities and exchange commission commissioner, appointed by president obama and took office in 2011. this was hosted by the u.s. chamber of commerce but it is just under an hour. >> good afternoon. thank you for joining us. i'm david hirschmann, president and ceo of capital markets compared is here at the u.s. chamber of commerce. our work was one over six years ago before the financial crisis because at the time on a bipartisan basis a group of folks that we had commissioned together told us that the financial regulatory structure served his country well for 75 years was no longer working. that it was out of date, that they were too many gaps, too many layers, and that somebody should get around doing financial regulatory reform before the next crisis. and shortly thereafter, a crisis did, in fact, happen. and the need for financial regulatory reform became even clear to the american people. i wish i could tell you that dodd-frank had achieved everything certainly we hope we reform, and certainly

. worship was a key part of the day for the first family today. president and mrs. obama attended services with their daughters at the metropolitan african methodist episcopal church. they celebrated slain civil rights leader, reverend martin luther king jr. at one of the most historic churches in washington. and tomorrow is of course, the main event. some 800,000 people expected to pack the west front of the capitol to watch president obama publicly take his oath of office. the president has already started his second term, he took the oath earlier today in an intimate swearing-in ceremony in the blue room of the white house. i want you to take a look. >> please raise your right hand and repeat after me. >> i, barack hussein obama, do solemnly swear. >> that i will execute the office of president to the united states faithfully. >> that i will execute -- >> faithfully the office of president of the united states faithfully. >> and will to the best of my ability. >> and will to the best of my ability. >> preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the united states. >> preserve, prote

mr. obama's second inauguration comes four years after he became the first black president and just over 16 years since he was first sworn into office as an illinois state legislator. inauguration day began with a prayer service at st. john's episcopal church across the street from the white house. later, it was on to the capitol building for the swearing-in. a planning official said the turnout on the mall was more than 800,000 people fewer than the record crowd that watched the first inauguration in 2009. first supreme court justice sonia sotomayor swore in joe biden. then chief justice roberts administered the oath to president obama. >> preserve, protect, and defend -- >> preserve, protect, and defend -- >> the constitution of the united states -- >> the constitution of the united states. >> so help you god? >> so help me god. >> congratulations, mr. president. [ cheers ] >> reporter: president obama's left hand was on two bibles, one belonging to abraham lincoln, the other to martin luther king jr. following his inaugural address and a signing ceremony in the capitol, the presi

what did we learn from the president's press conference this week? >> mr. obama gives the press another chance to ask tough questions, did they hit him hard? and inauguration day is here, will the media love fest continue? . that's next on news watch. in . in a first of its kind partnership with walmart, humana medicare plans now include 5% savings on great for you healthier foods at walmart! it's part of the vitality healthyfood program... and one more way humana medicare can help you choose what's good for your health and your wallet. so you can spend a little less money... and spend a little more time sharing what you know with the people who matter most. humana. ♪ >> what chuck and i and many people are curious about this new adamant desire to not negotiate that seems to conflict with the modern era of presidents and the history of the debt ceiling and your own history with the debt ceiling and doesn't that suggest we're going into a default because no one is talking to each other how to resolve this? >> no, major, i think if you look at the history, getting votes for the

. >>> president obama is turning his well oiled political situation. this week mr. obama unveiled sweeping new measures to reduce gun violence. cbs polls told 92% favored universe aal background checks. >>> the colorado movie theater that was the scene of a mass shooting in july opens to the public today. yesterday a sploen was held for the victims along with a private screening for survivors. for some it was a step toward healing but others didn't see it that way. teresa garcia reports now from aurora, colorado. >> reporter: police and moviegoers gathered once again but this time it was for healing. six months after the mass shooting that left 12 dead the theater reopened to survivors, victims' families, and first responders. >> we are a community of survivors, and we are a community that is united in our recovery. >> reporter: the gathering in the newly remodeled theater number 9 drew mixed responses from survivors and victims' families. >> dave lost his 18-year-old nephew. he said entering the theater was just too much for him. >> i try to think about what we have, not at what we lost. >> r

entitlement programs like medicare, medicaid and social security is straight ahead.mr. obama mr. obama used today's speech to tell skeptical republicans that these three pillars of the great society must remain. >> we, the people, still believe that every citizen deserves a basic measure of security and dignity. we must make the hard choices toh care reduce the cost of health care an and the size of our deficit. (applause) but we reject the belief that america must choose the belief between caring about the generation that built this country and the investment inture. its future. >> reporter: for the first time, the push for gay rights was equated with earlier struggles with women's rights and civil rights. >> our journey isn't complete until our gay brothers andor t sisters are treated like anyone else under the law. (applause) righ for if we are truly created equal than surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. >> reporter: the president elevated man-made climate change higher than at any time since winning reelection, resurrecting an issue he's barely touched f

less pressure all the way around. but i do have a piece of advice for mrs. obama. not that she's asked me for any of it. but one of the other sort of opportunities a first lady has is she can use what we call the unofficial sphere or the social sphere of parties and events to build community. and that capacity for the first lady goes back to our first first lady in many ways, dolly madson. and it's kind of felting we're talking about the first lady on the inauguration weekend since the very sort of first inaugural ball we think about was held in dolly madison's honor. what dolly madison showed in washington, you can use those parties and social events to build political community. so, again, no one has asked me, but i would give mrs. obama the advice, give a lot more parties and invite everybody. >> and kathryn, you were looking at pictures there, she certainly is a fashionista. nancy reagan was a fashionista and you're talking about dolly madison. how do you compare michelle obama to her most recent predecessors, laura bush, and secretary of state hillary clinton? >> i think tha

the commander in chief ball tonight. president and mrs. obama dancing first together and then with a member of the air force and a member of the marines, with a chest full of medals. to al green, as sung by jennifer hudson. i'm duty-bound to inform you that the first lady's gown is by jason wu, and her shoes are by jimmy choo. i know i sound ridiculous saying that, but you know you wanted to hear it. this ball is specifically for members of the united states military and their families. it is a tradition that was started under president george w. bush. they have expand it this year to be larger than it has ever been. it's essentially doubled in size. there are two official inaugural balls, two only in washington tonight. one of them is the commander in chief ball. and the other of them is the other official inaugural ball. thanks for being with us on what is kind of a big day in washington. you know the basics of what happened today. church service at st. john's house near the white house. the president goes from the white house then to the capitol, then he is sworn in at the capit

. mrs. obama wakes up before dawn to work out. back with us, a certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, official trainer for the atlanta hawks cheerleaders, so much going on. so how does michelle obama, one, get the arms and keep them? >> i wish it was just as simple as getting michelle obama's arms. she is very active, first of all. it's not just about spot training, working out the arms. she's active, watches what she eats. she's very into nutrition. those are two key factors into getting toned arms. another thing is genetics. and she was a college athlete. she has a lot of things on her side. but if you want to tone your arms and strengthen and work on getting a little more shape, you can do the following exercises. i brought my dumbbells. you can do these, too, if you want to. hammer curls to get our biceps in the front of our arm. they're going to flex. you can do this and then twist at the top and you can see -- well, you can't see yours in your jacket, but it might pop the sleeve. >> they are bulging. >> this will work our biceps. you have the weights. that's more fun. the

saw her and mr. obama dancing today and i approved. i thought they looked great today. >> it was so much fun to watch and neat to follow the anticipation on what she'd be wearing. i want to go back to an earlier point. today the theme was can't we all just get along, togetherness. do you think that was enough to help washington keep the peace today or the folks will be at each other's throats essentially again tomorrow? >> reporter: they certainly have been at each other's throats quite a bit. when we're talking about some of these serious issues, it's hard to imagine there will be a sudden break-through based solely on a speech coming from mr. obama, although he certainly made his case today. i spoke to nancy pelosi earlier in the weekend and she said the no. 1 factor to break gridlock in washington is going to come from the constituents of congressmen and women. that may really what about makes the difference as opposed to anything that mr. obama had to say today, but i guess we'll see. >>> if you remember nothing else tonight, remember this. we are your super bowl station and so

. obama joined mr. and mrs. biden. not everything went as planned. >> a truly magnificent michelle obama and the man she hangs out with, my friend president barack obama. >> the president and the first lady eventually did walk out. [laughter] >> and mr. obama addressed the crowd and thanked his supporters. >> make sure you know what we're celebrating -- is not the election or the swearing in of a president. what we're doing is celebrating each other and this incredible nation we call home. >> the president told supporters he'll need them to work hard to accomplish his many goals, among them immigration reform. this photo of kathy laneer addressing officers -- they will be part of the huge number of people keeping the innaguration as safe as possible. traffic has been tough across the district. we've found backups all over town and you'll need to be patient. the chief has said there will be lots of signage and lots of people on hand to helpcluding at our website. and we have some additional changes -- taking a cab will be more expensive. there is a one dollar fee hike for each passe

michelle. mrs. obama wowed in a ruby chiffon gown by jason wu the same designer she wore four years ago at the last inauguration. ♪ at last my love has come along ♪ >> reporter: back then she stepped out on stage in a white dress by the then little known designer. his career skyrocketed. >> any time mrs. obama wears one of your designs a fashion designer ascends. it doesn't happen with any first lady but it happens with mrs. obama. >> reporter: from behind it was all about that sexy low back. but from the front, check out those bangs. >> i believe the bangs are a metaphor and it sends a very striking sound and symbol and i think she looks wonderful. >> reporter: call it michelle 2.0. her first four years made her a style i con. >> it has changed the game for women in america. you can dress on a budget. >> reporter: of course tonight's dress was hardly a bargain. but the ball goers approved on the splurge. >> what do you think of the cress? >> amazing. >> beautiful. >> stunning. >> reporter: they didn't look bad themselves. this is after all washington's biggest night out. a chan

this martin luther king day. now mr. obama sworn into office, as you know, for the second time and speaking to the nation with about his future. >> it is now our generation's path to carry on what those pioneers begin. for our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. >> close to a million people lined the streets of washington, d.c., today hoping to get a glimpse of the first family and it was quite a sight. you see his daughters there in the background and now the celebration continues, as we mentioned. live pictures of the commander in chief's ball in washington, d.c. the president and first lady just now leaving the building, going to their second ball of the night. let's bring in now nbc bay area's scott budman with the social and tech angle to all of this. as we saw play out on national tv, scott. >> we did, raj. lots of people brought up it technology back during the 2009 inauguration. today it was even more prevalent. you could follow the inauguration on twitter and facebook like you might follow the play-by

have focused heavily on foreign policy. and now that mr. obama has begun the job of replacing his outgoing secretaries of state and defense and the director of the cia, he'll have some new faces to work with on his foreign policy team. joe johns, cnn, washington. >> and next hour, we take a closer look at the issues that will likely define president obama's second term. >>> randi, what's coming up next? >> we have a whole lot still ahead, victor. she set fashion trends four years ago when president obama was sworn into office, so what will michelle obama wear to this weekend's inaugural events? we'll have a look at the first lady's fashion, coming up. >>> i think that there's no more higher purpose right now than to take care of folks, put themselves in harm's way, protect our freedoms. >> more than half a million folks have done more than one tour. that's a tremendous emotional and physical burden we've put on our folks that's totally unprecedented. >> we're acknowledging that people are always going to have some effect. we just want them to be able to be better at making that tr

requires a lot of coordination and organization. >> mr. obama and the first lady overnight with supporters at inaugural reception showed off their love. president>> i love her bangs. she looks good. >> it has been a thrill to watch this handsome, charming individual grow into the man and the president who he is. today he will reach out to some of the people voted against him and call on washington to come to common ground. >> it is difficult to get around with all the crowd. expect it will be worse today than yesterday. you can check our website wjla.com for full list of closures. remember, if you are taking a taxi in d.c. today, the taxi commission has authorized a $1 fee for each additional passenger. that starts at 4:00 a.m. until midnight. traffic expected to be so bad around the capital, people are urged to take metro. dan is on the line a metro spokesman. all hands on deck today. absolutely. we are looking forward to a smooth and successful day. if we expect large crowds. plan ahead if you are planning to take metro. we have a complete metro inauguration landing page on ou

time out to volunteer and also to give back. mr. obama and the first lady spent the morning visiting burrville elementary school in dc, helping out by filling book shelves and talking to volunteers at the school. this year, as it has been since 2009 when president obama first took office, the administration is trying to expand the concept of volunteerism. fox 5's john hanrahan was at the national mall and is now in the newsroom with the story. >> reporter: i've been wondering what the enormous white tent is at the corner of 14th street and the mall. i'm told it is a staging area. today, it was indoor part of the inauguration. thousands of people were invited inside the tent to consider making a commitment to volunteerism. ♪ >> reporter: yolanda adams made her pitch with a song. ♪ i'm going to do my part, yeah! ♪ >> reporter: chelsea clinton personally visited a booth to help the youngsters there write letters to sick children. and actress eva longoria appealed to a crowd of thousands to help improve the nation by volunteering. >> make a difference in one child's life. mentor a

. one of the lines in the inaugural speech. let's stay on that, it is possible according to mr. obama to win the peace without having a war. that is the basic, what he essentially said. that sounds like a certain backing off. since iran seems to be the most hostile, that is more bdubbish. i think john kerry's first job is going to see whether or not he can do negotiate a grand agreement with iran. it is evident to any one sitting here in washington larry, that the president wants to see if he can finally use the man kadate coach the iatola to avoid a k confli conflict. the key here is if he can avoid a charge whereas whether or not kerri and haegle will bring the bacon home in order to avoid the conflict. >> here is the line. we are heirs to those who won the peace and not just won the war and we must carry those lessons this time as well. i'm not sure ambassador ginsberg means. none of us nknow how fruitful their been. he wants to show, that engagement with iran at least in a final attempt is worth having his right wing in this country and the right wing go after him in order for him to

the country. >> like every president since fdr, mr. obama started his day early, with a prayer service at st. john's church. before departing the white house for the longest motorcades known to man for the rise to the capital. a star-studded affair. where else do you see paul ryan mingling with jay-z and beyonce who belted out the national anthem. >> the ceremony was over there was a stream of pomp and circumstance waiting. >> from signing papers to officially nominate the new cabinet to lunch with congressional leaders. then, of course, the parade. the first family could make the way back to the white house in that grand bulletproof review stand. yet all of that could wait because leaving the west front of the capitol, the president went off script to take in the vista of the national mall. mr. obama seemed to be taking in the moment. overheard saying he would never quite see this view again. as the president is set to sell the agenda in the "state of the union" next month, it is worth noting that gallop is out -- gallup is out with approval rating for the third term and the t

had written to him about newtown mr. obama signed 23 executive actions strengthening background checks, providing more officers to schools and telling mental health professionals how to report potentially violent patients. then, he called on congress to pass new laws to ban new military-style assault rifles, expand background checks to cover every gun purchase, limit ammunition magazines to a maximum of ten rounds, and impose stiffer penalties for gun trafficking. we have three reports tonight, and we will start with major garrett at the white house. major? >> reporter: scott, vice president's gun violence task force held 22 meetings and met with more than 220 different groups. it submitted its proposals to the president two weeks ahead of schedule. president obama accepted them with no changes. >> while there is no law or set of laws that can prevent every senseless act of violence completely, no piece of legislation that will prevent every tragedy, every act of evil, if there's even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if there's even one life that can be saved, then w

it moves. it moves. >> reporter: tomorrow mr. obama will be sworn in during a public ceremony. he'll give his inaugural speech then take part in a parade and series of inaugural parties and balls. here's a live look at the white house tonight. tori campbell has more on how mr. obama won a spot in history. >> that i will faithfully execute the office of president of the united states. >> reporter: the president is officially in his second term now. he was sworn in in the blue room of the white house with chief justice john roberts doing the honor. and you can bet that chief roberts said the words carefully. four years ago he said the oath wrong. so president obama is the first to have been sworn four times. this morning, joe biden was sworn in by sotomayor. then there was the wreath laying ceremony. and the first couple also attended the episcopal church for martin luther king celebration. >> reporter: when a president and vice president are sworn in it's only for a four year term so if they're reelected they needed to be sworn in for a second four year term. reporting from washington

may ban, mr. obama blamed fears of government overreach. >> part of the challenge that weth confront is that even the slightest hint of some sensible, responsible legislation in this area fans this notion that somehow here it comes and that everybody's guns are going to beo taken away. >> reporter: mr. obama said if congress does not act he can achieve some of these goal us there executive order. but, scott, the only area the president talked about that wasso improved tracing at the federal level of guns sold to or stolen by criminals. maj >> pelley: major, thank you, the government could hit itst borrowing limit again as soon as mid-february. earlier, at that white house news conference, the president called on congress to raise the debt ceiling so the country can pay its bills. >> we have to do something sensible and we shouldn't be doing this on a one to three- month time frame. why would we do that? this is the united states ofajor america, major.in we can't manage our affairs in our such a way that we pay our bills and provide certainty in terms of how we pay our bills. i don't

people. >> congratulations, mr. obama. >> reporter: mr. obama urged cooperation, rare now in washington, to cut health care costs and the deficit. >> but we reject the belief that america must choose between caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will buildi its future. >> reporter: we can make progress, he said, on immigration, gay rights, climate change and school safety. a night to remember for the obamas and for the nation that re-elected the president. i'm steve handelsman, nbc news, washington. >>> president obama never used the words "democrat" or "republican" in his second inaugural address, but his political message was clear, progressive policies along with a directive for leaders that define us as individuals and as a country. >> the commitments we make to each other through medicare and medicaid and social security, these things do not sap our initiative, they strengthen us. they do not make us a nation of takers. they free us to take the risks that make this country great. we will respond to the threat of climate change. knowi

. but today is when the american people celebrate mr. obama's second inaugural. it's also dr. martin luther king jr.'s birthday. the president will honor dr. king by swearing in publicly on a bible once used by the civil rights leader. he'll also use a bible that was once used by abraham lincoln. 800,000 people are expected in the national mall. >> what we're doing is celebrating each other and celebrating this incredible nation we call home. >> reporter: the president and vice president, along with their famili families, will start by attending st. john's. the swearing-in is followed by a parade and the glitzy inaugural balls. the security is extremely tight. 15,000 military and law enforcement personnel will watch over the proceedings. >> watching an event this large, with this number of people coming, takes a lot of corporate nation. >> reporter: the president and first lady showed off their love. the president weighing in on his wife's new hair-do. >> i love her bangs. she looks good. >> let me tell you, it has just been a true thrill to watch this handsome, charming individual g

. after unveiling his proposals wednesday, mr. obama is pressuring congress with a new online petition. it seeks support for universal background checks and other reforms. one virginia state lawmaker went dramatic. brandishing an ak-47 yesterday, while urging a support for a ban on assault weapons. it was unloaded. and his bill was defeated. >>> washington gearing up for a full weekend of inaugural events. security has been cranking up as practice for all of the major happenings take place tomorrow. mr. obama, vice president biden and their wives taking part in service events across washington. they will be sworn up on sunday, before monday's ceremonial swearing in at the capitol. >>> a scare for an alaskan airlines flight overnight. fighter jets were scrambled after reports of a possible hijacking. those jets escorted the 737 to sea-tac airport. someone called the honolulu office. >>> across the country at miami's airport, two massive airliners clipping each other at the gate, damaging both planes. an airbus arriving from argentina, touched the 777 leaving for paris. none of

, president obama and first lady stole the spotlight. mrs. obama, stunning in a ruby gown by jason wu. the couple serenaded by jennifer hudson. the inaugural balls capped off a day of pomp, featuring plenty of music. ♪ and the home of the brave >> reporter: a parade. and a public swearing-in at the capitol. now, it's back to work for mr. obama, who in his inaugural address, said he would push an aggressive agenda. the president spoke directly to the goals of the more diverse and more social coalition that re-elected him. for the first time in an inaugural speech, explicitly mentioning gay rights. >> if we are truly created equal, the love we give one another must be equal, as well. >> reporter: he spoke about climate change, equal pay for women and immigration reform. >> our journey is not complete until we find a way to welcome the thriving, hopeful immigrants who see america as a land of opportunity. >> reporter: the president paused during many of the day's special moments, seeming to take it all in, knowing this would be his last inauguration. some republicans thought president obama

witness mr. obama be sworn in as the nation's first african-american president. >> hopefully i can get up close and personal with michelle and barack. i know that won't happen, but i'm looking forward to seeing them and congratulating them. >> reporter: hundreds of thousands are expected to subway to the mall for the inauguration. metro will provide 17 consecutive hours of rush hour service, from 4:00 in the morning until 9:00 at night. and they're charging peak rates. >> it's different for me, because i haven't rode them before, but i love it. it's very exciting. >> reporter: metro has sold all of its 100,000 commemorative smart trip cards. there was a rush today to buy the final few. >> i've been to about two different metro stations before getting here and i got them. >> reporter: again, metro is opening its doors at 4:00 in the morning. you are urged to have your smart trip card ready, loaded with money. that way you don't have to wait in line. you can go ahead and get into the subways. they're expected to be packed tomorrow. again, expected to have huge crowds here. many streets are

there, wolf. i am across from the church where president obama and mrs. obama are inside sitting, not in the traditional president's pew, but in the first row, as is the vice president and his family, and i want to show you, if this bus will move behind me, you can see over here the presidential limousine, the beast. once this service is over and we are told that it will be short and sweet, the beast is standing ready to whisk president obama and mrs. obama off to the capitol. >> brianna, thank you. let's go to jessica yellin. jessica, i understand you're learning some details about what the president will say. >> reporter: one insider insisted to me, wolf, that there is no challenge to be met today, no political test, but president obama considers this speech deeply meaningful, an important opportunity, a chance to reset the political conversation, and aides concede to me, it's no easy task. >> i, barack hussein obama, do solemnly swear. >> reporter: a second inaugural, a second chance for president barack obama. he used his first address to issue a grim warning about the coming economi

maliyah? >> yeah. >> mrs. obama told military families that even though the wars in afghanistan and iraq are ending, support for those families is not. >>> and it is the 57th presidential inauguration in our nation's history. so how will this year sers money compare with those in the past? joining me notice for history is american university professor dr. alan lichtman. good morning. >> my pleasure to be here. >> i was looking through this report. all these facts and firsts and presidents. >> yeah. >> lofts bullet points here. i'm wondering what you think the bullet points will be after this year. >> well, i think the bullet point will be how can he top what happened four years ago? you know, 2 million people came here. he was the first african american president ever nog rated, decades ahead of time really in terms of what experts thought was likely. so he's got to rise to the occasion and deliver a great inaugural address. >> the address, yes. >> that's the key. >> and has anyone given any peeks yet as to what it might contain? >> no, but i think it's got to contain kind of those great